Older machines such as farm tractors are typically equipped with a single pair of hydraulic system outlet ports that allow an operator to attach and operate hydraulically driven implements for use with the machine or tractor. As is well known in the art, it is possible to convert a single pair of outlet ports into multiple pairs of outlet ports by using an externally attached valve.
However, attaching the valve to the hydraulic system remains a problem. A first approach is to use standard fittings and hoses to connect the hydraulic system outlets to the valve inlets. While this is functional, it requires a protected location on the machine or tractor where the valve can be securely mounted and the hydraulic hoses connected in a safe manner without interfering with the operation of the machine. Such a location may not always be available or convenient.
A second approach is to directly mount the valve inlet ports to the hydraulic system outlet ports. However, the lateral distance between the hydraulic system outlet ports varies between equipment manufacturers and also varies due to manufacturing tolerances. Therefore, an adjustable direct mounting is required in order to accommodate the varying distances between the outlet ports. One solution to the problem of varying outlet port distances involves the use of extended valve inlet fittings containing two 90.degree. bends which may be rotated to adjust the relative distance between the inlet port fittings to match that of the outlet ports. However, it is difficult and unwieldy for an operator to adjust such extended fittings. In addition, the length of the extended fittings causes mechanical stress to be placed on the fittings and hydraulic system outlets due to the weight of the valve unit and attached hoses. The direct mount is not strong or stable and typically the valve must therefore be supported by additional means. Supporting the valve suffers from the same drawbacks as that of the first approach described above.
Therefore, there is a need for a strong, stable, easy-to-use way of directly converting a single outlet hydraulic power system to a multiple outlet system to enable the use of multiple implements.